


Day 295

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [295]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Relationships: Merrill/OC
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [295]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 295

Merrill was practically vibrating with excitement. Everything was ready, the places were set, the candles were lit and she had a whole list of activities planned and prepared. Varric usually hosted get-togethers with their friends, which meant drinking, stories and card games. It wasn’t that Merrill didn’t like card games and drinking, but those nights tended to get boisterous and as often as not ended in a fight. Merrill just wanted a calm evening of fun.

The candles were already doing their job, filling her entire house with the soothing scent of pine trees. Noll’s sister Gale had helped with the cooking and prepared what Merrill could only describe as a feast of snacks. Merrill had had to get extra plates and cups to accommodate everyone who would be coming and she had even borrowed a table from the Harren of the Alianage. Noll had helped set up the candles and had made some paper lanterns to go with them for decoration. Merrill’s home had never been so colorful, or tidy. Gale was very good at cleaning as she cooked. If Merrill had been in charge there would have been a stack of dishes reaching almost to the roof.

Arianni was the first guest to arrive, which was interesting since she had come all the way down from Sundermound where she was living with Merrill’s old Dalish clan. She was perhaps the only one from the clan who was still on speaking terms with Merrill.

“It is wonderful to see you again,” Arianni said. She had brought a collection of Dalish delicacies, foods Merrill hadn’t eaten in years.

“Oh, how wonderful,” Merrill said, taking the basket. “You didn’t need to go to so much trouble for me.”

“My son lives because of you,” Arianni said. “Nothing I could ever do would be enough to repay you.”

Varric was the next to arrive, he was alone, which was a surprise. Merrill assumed he would be traveling with the others.

“Happy Birthday Daisy,” he said with the enormous smile only Varric could pull off. Merrill had tried once and Noll had laughed until tears came out their eyes.

“Where’s Hawke?” she asked.

“He… he’s having a particularly bad day,” Varric said. Meaning he was struggling to even get out of bed. Hawke had been having lots of days like that this year. Merrill wished, not for the first time, that she had been able to resist the demon the day they had saved Arianni’s son in the Beyond. She couldn’t help but suspect everything would have been different then. 

“What about Anders?” she asked.

“Blondie said he couldn’t leave his clinic tonight.”

Just as well, Merrill thought. Without Hawke there, Anders would only have picked a fight with someone and ruined all the careful planning Merrill had done.

“But we made plans for ten people,” Merrill muttered. “We’ll have far too much food now and some of the games won’t work quite as well.” She felt bad for being upset, but Merrill, Noll and Gale had spent so long preparing for the evening. Despite herself she felt tears welling up in her eyes and she mumbled something about making tea ready and took a moment to compose herself.

“I’ll go find some more guests,” Noll said, coming over to her. “I know how much you were looking forward to this evening, it should be perfect.” They slipped out, leaving Merrill and Gale to tent to their current guests.

They poured tea for Varric and Arianni, and Varric bestowed the nickname Steeper on Gale. Merrill couldn’t think of a group of people with less to talk about. Arianni’s stories would either be about the clan Merrill was exiled from or about how her son was saved from demons, just like Gale’s son and husband weren’t.

Varric saved the day, as usual, with a story about a Nug King. It was a delightful silly story and everyone loved it. Everyone was happy and relaxed by the time the guards showed up. Aveline, Donnic and Brennan all came together.

“I’m so glad you made it,” Merrill exclaimed, leaping to her feet. “When Hawke and Anders didn’t show up I was worried you wouldn’t either.”

“Well it wasn’t easy shifting the schedule so three of the highest ranking guards would all have a night off at the same time,” Aveline said. She was pretending to be annoyed but the sides of her mouth were culled just slightly. She always looked like that when she was happy but didn’t want anyone to know. 

“Speaking of which,” Brennan said, handing Merrill a bottle of wine. “If there’s any trouble tonight I may have to run out.”

“I don’t think there will be,” Gale said, taking the wine from Merrill and stacking it with the others. “Noll made it very clear that anyone who caused trouble tonight would have to answer to them.”

“Speaking of,” Brennan said, “where are they?”

As if on cue, Noll came back just then with Tomwise and a dwarf Merrill didn’t recognize.

“Good evening everyone,” they said. “I think you all know Tomwise.” Tomwise gave a little wave and gestured to the dwarf.

“This is my betrothed, Feja.”

“Oh,” Merrill squeaked. “I didn’t know you were getting married. That’s so wonderful.”

“That’s the captain of the guard,” Feja hissed in Tomwise’s ear, though Merrill’s home was so small everyone could hear. She looked nervous, Aviline tended to have that effect on people.

“Yes I know,” Tomwise said with a small laugh. “We met years ago when she was part of the Red Iron’s mercenary company. The guard still buys poisons from me- us now- on very rare occasions.”

Merrill was always a little nervous around new people. She was always worried she would say something wrong and offend or upset them. It always seemed to happen but at least they had enough people for her plans. Everyone sat down around the table and Merrill and Gale started serving the food. The dinner conversation was more tentative than Merrill had expected but at least no one was arguing. Feja didn’t reveal a lot about herself only that she was an alchemist and met Tomwise while competing with him for business.

It was almost midnight by the time they were ready to start the first game.


End file.
